The development of new materials for use in manufacturing tubes, such as the tubes used in heat exchangers, often involves testing the new materials for their ability to withstand corrosion. One such test is called a formicary corrosion test, whereby a tube sample is sealed at an end and the tube interior is pressurized. The tube exterior is exposed to a corrosive testing fluid, such as, for example, formic acid, until the tube can no longer maintain the interior pressure.
In order to manufacture a sample of a tube for testing, it is necessary to make an amount of a new material sufficient to run through the tube manufacturing process. The quantity of material made typically far exceeds the amount actually tested. A batch of new material, for example, a copper alloy material, can be expensive to manufacture, particularly because most of the material will never be used (i.e., if the testing proves the material unsuitable for use). Accordingly, there is a need for a lower cost testing methodology for new materials for use in manufacturing tubes.